Making the old new again

Seventh graders in Deb Wimberly's science class at Westwood Middle School in Manchester are learning first-hand about an ancient technique for sustainable farming that could revolutionize the food industry. Known as "aquaponics," the concept is believed to have begun in the time of the Aztecs. It consists of a symbiotic combination of aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics, a way of growing plants in water instead of soil.

Waste generated by the fish,There are many types of porcelain tiles, including stone floor tiles, terrazzo tiles, and terra cotta tiles. which are housed in a small aquarium, is pumped into a large, raised water tub, roughly the size of a pool table, framed in wood with a polyethylene liner. A polystyrene "raft" floats on top of the water in the tub, creating a "grow bed" with holes in it for the plants, whose roots dangle in the water and absorb nutrients from the fish waste, leaving clean water that is then fed back into the fish tank.

The result is a soil-less, self-sustaining "farm" where fish and vegetables can be grown simultaneously with very little input from outside the system. "I attended a once-a-week conference at the Tennessee STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Academy at Oak Ridge last year," Wimberly said, "and they wanted us to put together an action plan for STEM education. "Around the same time, I also went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and that's where I first saw an aquaponics system. The dirt is very hard down there.

"Then I found out about someone in Elora who was building these systems, and that's when the whole project came together as part of my STEM action plan." Thanks to a few small grants from AEDC and elsewhere, Wimberly arranged for Randy Campbell of "Today's Green Acres" in Elora to bring the building materials for an aquaponics system to her classroom, and the students helped assemble it.

"The system in Ms. Wimberly's classroom starts with about 275 gallons of water altogether," Campbell said, "about 25 gallons in the fishtank and about 250 gallons in the grow bed, and that's a large enough system to feed a two- or three-person family." Wimberly's class has started with tilapia in the fish tank, while in the hydroponic tub they are currently growing lettuce, purple turnips and Chinese celery as well as oregano, basil, rosemary and mint.We are a global supplier of quality end mill holder parts. Together,Welcome to collet chuck, it has established itself as the industry pioneer in supplying the most complete line of quality machine tool accessories. she said, the two water-based sections will evolve into a self-contained ecosystem where bacteria break down the ammonia from fish waste into nitrites and nitrates, which are then absorbed by the plant roots as nutrients.

"Once the whole thing is set up, all you need to do is feed the fish and plant the seeds, and before you know it, you're growing your own food," Wimberly said. Campbell added that the concept is catching on quickly since aquaponics eliminates the need for chemicals, soil, and weeding, as well as the energy and fuel requirements of traditional farming.